KENYA'S CIVIL SOCIETY

The civil society in Kenya

Civil society

A civil society is simply an arena outside the family, the state and the market where people associate to advance common interest. It is voluntary to join a civil society and it is usually free from the state backed structures.

The civil society is a key component of a society that enables its proper functioning. A society without a civil society is definitely in a comprising situation to all kinds of vices and hence it’s either chaotic or ‘perfect’, which in reality is not true.

The Kenyan civil society has come a long way, struggling with all the ills in the society to take shape and stand on its feet, to be a liberator and a championer of people rights; dealing with matters relating to human rights and good governance.

One of Kenyans key moments credited to the efforts of the civil society is during the multi-party campaigns of the 1990s where the civil society with the aid of international community the (international financial institutions), forced the KANU regime of the then hardliner president Daniel arap Moi and his cronies to yield to multi-partism. This was achieved by the repealing of the constitution Section 2A, hence giving Kenya a chance to become a multi-party state.

Geog Hegel

Geog Hegel the influential critical thinker and mentor to Karl Marx stated in his law of interpretation said that, ‘Things which oppose and compete each other come to resemble each other’. This is the situation that the Kenyan civil society and its antagonist are now at or are in the process of being. It is a big problem considering the pertinent roles the civil society plays in the society.

With the corruption of civil society by the strong external forces, mainly the government and the influential business community, the civil society becomes vulnerable and cannot help but dance to the tune of these strong armed ‘gangs’. This leaves the citizens vulnerable like sheep in a jungle wandering without its shepherd. With this problem in hand all kinds of social ills in the society are inevitable, ranging from poor governance, lack of transparency and accountability by the government and its employees. This is a cancer that slowly encroaches, all sectors of the government and may bring a country to its knees if not curbed early and given the seriousness it ought to be given.

Co-option

Majority of the Kenyans who were once in the civil society, for instance those who fought for the amendment of the Kenyan constitution (Lancaster) popularly known as the ‘second liberators’ are now serving in political positions or are either running big businesses. Just as Hegel had fore seen majority of those who were vocal during their time on what should be done are now perpetrators of those ills. Their version of preaching water were changed to wine when they took their first step on the corridor of power or when their ‘business’ ventures made their first unreasonable profits.

Credits

The Kenya civil society is credited though for its endless and fearless effort towards achieving the Kenyan dream ;of a prosperous country where the interest of all are placed before the interest of any mortals, and a prosperous Kenya were opportunities and justice are served to all in equal measure and proportions. The likes of Timothy Njoya, Martha Karua, Raila Odinga, Martin Shikuku, The late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, Paul Muite, Koigi Wamwere and Gitobu Imanyara just to mention a few who without their relentless effort Kenya’s history would be different today.

A new crop

Just as Leonardo Da Vinci once said ‘He who does not punish evil commands it to be done’: A new crop of individuals need to come out, bold in spirit and without fear to fight for what has eluded Kenyans for long, and that is justice. Resources have been embezzled and squandered by those who are in control of the means of violence (those in government) and who those who ran domestic politics like their own personal affairs.

In quest for justice

Kenyans have long suffered from mega scandals and corruption cases, regime after regimes and it’s high time those unscrupulous means of earning money be stopped and those who perpetrated them be brought to book, just as Zambia has managed or is trying to bring former heads of states and individuals who earned money through unlawful means to face the wheels of justice so do Kenya and any country out there that wants to build a firm foundation of their state via serving of justice equally and via upholding the rule of law, so as to achieve the dream.

The new constitution has provided a chance to Kenya to awaken, dust off all the dirt of their past and wash its linen once again. The process though will be hard and therefore needs to be approached with open mindedness by all.

The focus

To conclude the civil society should also not forget their key function;

-Protecting the civilians from the state’s political powers &

-Protecting the civilians from the economic power of money.

v  With these in place Kenya will be able to come round and regain its initial status and momentum economically and development wise and hence have its decent piece of cake in the competitive international arena.